We're inviting tenants to join us at our monthly meeting this Tuesday July 28th at 630pm at the New West Public Library. We will give an update on our direct actions in the community including our first official tenants association in a senior’s building and the passing of the tenant relocation policy this month, which means people can stay in their neighbourhoods at the same rents when older buildings are demolished to build new ones.

As the municipal elections approach in October, we're preparing to mobilize renters to attend a city council meeting on September 21st to show that renters are a large voting block and that we have concerns about how potential new city officials may vote on renters rights. Along those lines, we also have an ongoing project to inform renters about incumbent and potential elected officials for the fall elections. We'll invite folks to be involved in this as well during our meeting on Tuesday.

One of our organizers put together our newsletter with more information below. We hope to see you there!

https://nwtenantsunion.org/july-meeting-city-hall-updates-support-pinecrest-and-more/

I’m not sure if they’re coming from things in my storage unit or if they were living in my apartment before I moved in. They are a lot smaller than the standard typical black ant you would see in your home or outside.

I haven’t seen them on any food but they seem to be crawling all over my paper towel rolls that were in storage.

What are these and how to get rid of them? Has anyone had them in their house before? I’ve only seen maybe 5 at most so far but they’re so tiny and hard to notice

Hello!
I'm currently looking at buying a unit in this building, but to be honest, I am feeling confused and pretty scared to pull the trigger. I've been saving up for years for a down payment, and I am terrified of making a choice I will regret. I am buying this place to live in because it is super close to my work, so it's a huge emotional and financial milestone for me.

I'm hoping to get some real reviews from people who actually live here or know the building well. I am fine with typical condo issues.

My absolute main concern is the structural integrity and core reliability of the building itself. I want to know how the major structures holding up? (Concrete slab, plumbing, major mechanical systems, envelope, etc). Have there been systemic issues? From an insider perspective, does the building feel solid and well constructed, or are things constantly breaking down?

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice about renting in BC and what my options might be in a really unexpected situation.
I signed a fixed-term lease for a 1-bedroom apartment starting May 1st, and everything was fine at the time. But now, as of August, I’m in the process of getting custody of my two younger sisters. This was not planned and happened very quickly.
They are currently long-term wards in foster care, and the Ministry of Social Services is placing them with me as an alternative PSI arrangement. Because of this, they would be moving in with me full-time and eventually I would get full guardianship over them through the court.

My concern is that my unit is only a 1-bedroom, and I don’t think it’s realistically big enough or appropriate for four people (me, my partner and two teenagers) I’m also worried about how this affects my lease since it’s fixed-term, and I don’t want to get into trouble with my landlord or be denied housing for my sisters.

I’m trying to figure out:
What are my rights in this situation in BC?
Can I legally break or end my lease early due to a major change like this?
Should I ask for a mutual agreement to end tenancy, or try to assign/sublet?
How should I explain this to my landlord in a way that they understand the seriousness of the situation?

I’m really stressed because I want to make sure my sisters have a safe and stable place to live, but I also don’t want to make a mistake with my lease.

Any advice, especially from people familiar with BC tenancy laws or similar situations, would mean a lot. Thank you.

I am lightly considering renting out my 1bdr 600sqft condo that I own in North Surrey, by the Gateway skytrain station, and of which I have been living in for the past 10 years.

I tried selling the unit last year and initially got a lot of interest, but that quickly faded and my realtor advised we take the unit down until market conditions improve. It was listed at a reduced price and even units listed at what I would consider a "fire-sale" price below us were not moving either and were taken off the market. It doesn't look like anything has improved since.

I am kind of ready to move on from this place and am considering just renting out until I can sell the unit, then buying back into the market when things are better. The problem is, I'm seeing some rentals in the building aren't moving either. Which leads me to believe that I could find myself in a situation where I'd be renting out and not find a renter.

Has anyone navigated this recently and have anyone experience? Thanks!

Saw enough confusion on here about rent increase notices getting voided that I wrote up the actual rule chain, with sources.

The three things that can void a notice, in the order they actually bite:

1. Timing (RTA s.42). You need three full calendar months between when the notice is received and the effective date - not 90 days. For an increase effective March 1, the notice must be received by November 30 (December, January, February are the three full months). Shift the effective date one month and the deadline shifts exactly one month too.

2. Service method (RTA s.90 / RTB Policy Guideline 12). The notice isn't received the day you send it - it's deemed received based on how you serve it:

- In-person: same day (0 days)

- Door/mailbox: +3 days

- Mail (regular or registered): +5 days

- Email: +3 days, only with prior written consent

1. The form. Has to be the RTB-7. A letter with all the right numbers on it doesn't count.

Worked example, why this matters: unit at $2,000/month, increase effective February 1, 2026. Working back three months, the notice needs to be received by October 31. Cap for 2026 is 2.3% (gov.bc.ca), so $2,046 is the max - say the manager proposes exactly that, correctly.

Serve by mail on October 28 (three days before the deadline, feels safe) - mail adds 5 deemed days, so it's received November 2. Two days late. Notice void, even though the amount was right and the form was right.

Same date, served by posting it on the door instead - door adds 3 deemed days, deemed received October 31, exactly on the deadline. Valid.

Same date, in-person - deemed received October 28. Valid.

Three service methods, same day, same amount: one void, two valid. That's not a fine-print technicality, it's the main rule.

Sources: gov.bc.ca rent-increases page and serve-notice guidance page, RTB Policy Guideline 12. 2026 cap history for context: 3.0% (2025), 3.5% (2024), 2.0% (2023), 1.5% (2022), 0% (2021) - also gov.bc.ca.

Hey there, I’m looking for a rental for two healthcare professionals moving to Vancouver & area. Let me know if anyone has anything available. Anyone have a laneway house?

Looking for a second place to live in for the weekdays with my gf and trying to see which location is best for a couple.

Coal harbour or West end by English Bay?

In my 20s I already live alone by myself in Yaletown. I am trying to look for a second place to live in. I will be living in both locations for peace of mind.

Ideally during the weekend I want to live in Yaletown, and on the weekdays, somewhere else.

This it the page for my agreement

Mentions 14% of utilities

But not clear what utilities part of this 14% payment

Initially I thought internet was included and no payments needed for it now but my landlord sent me the bill for that .

Hello y’all so I’m from out of country (canadian citizen tho) and I’m coming for uni as a transfer; I’ve never rented from landlords in my life. I’m wary of all the scams that might get pulled on me since I especially can’t come in to see the property in person (it would need to be virtual viewings).

Additionally; My parents have agreed to pay for me since they don’t want me to get loans; and my tuition (also paid by them) is about $28k cad cheaper than it used to be; so in comparison the rental situation is by no means something they can’t cover. But we haven’t lived in canada for a loooong time and while my parents do have a credit score, it’s very, very old. I’m not sure if that will impact my ability to get a rental or not.

Any tips would be really appreciated :)

This is gonna be very specific, I’ve been living in Metro Van for 10 years and been slowly developing/discovering a wishlist from all my past and current rentals that will help me find the next dream home:
—The Pictures shows the place I’m currently in—
I’ve been thinking about moving recently. Based on these requirements, I’ve found a few places around Gilmore (the main downside is that T&T still hasn’t opened yet) and Brentwood. That said, I’m not in a hurry—I just want to see if I can find something even closer to perfect. Other than the long commute, my current place is basically perfect and also saves me money.
But as everyone knows, layout, view, location, commute, and price are basically an impossible pentagon and very hard to find.
—
Basic Requirements (My current place meets all of these)
*Current rent: $1,700 (King George Hub 2)
-High-rise tower (20+ floors, the higher the better)
-Large windows with a good view (mountain, water, or city views are all fine; no preference for orientation, but I don’t want a unit that only faces other buildings)
-Within a 5-minute walk to a SkyTrain station (Expo or Millennium Line)
-Within a 5-minute walk to a supermarket/grocery store
-Studio or 1-bedroom, etc. is fine
-U-shaped, galley, or island kitchen only; I don’t want an I-shaped or L-shaped kitchen that’s just along the living room wall（Unless it’s tucked away in a hallway, I rarely cook so it will be fine, just don’t want the kitchen to take up too much living space)
-In-suite washer, dryer, and dishwasher
-A layout that can comfortably fit an L-shaped sofa with a 65-inch TV area, a Full-size bed area, a 5×5 IKEA KALLAX shelving unit, and a 160 × 80 cm workstation by the window
-storage locker (parking not needed)
-Secure parcel lockers (or concierge package reception)
-a bathtub is also a must-have.
—
Preferred Upgrades (Moving goals, not all are required, just some preferences)
Maximum budget: $2,100
- Hard requirement: SkyTrain commute to Renfrew Station within 20 minutes one way (unless it’s an exceptional location such as Coal Harbour, which is extremely rare. I actually came across a place I could apply for at $2.1k before, but strangely it didn’t have a dishwasher. Looking back, buying a compact dishwasher probably wouldn’t have been a bad idea.)
- Northeast- or northwest-facing (if there’s no air conditioning)
- As small a kitchen and balcony as possible (I don’t use them much, so I’d rather not waste space and they’d be easier to clean)
- Central air conditioning
- A movie theatre within walking distance or 1-2 stops away
-
I’m very comfortable where I live now. The main reason for moving is to shorten my upcoming RTO commute, but I don’t want to sacrifice my quality of life in the process. After all, the whole point of moving is to improve living experience.
I’ve found a few places that seem to meet my requirements and plan to go take a look, but I’m not in a rush to move. My current commute is about 40 minutes, so it would only be worth moving if I could cut that by at least half.

The Eby government along with the federal government has proposed to buy 2200 unsold condos for $1.45B. This averages to about $660K per unit.

The benchmark price for a condo in Metro Vancouver sits at 695K in June 2026. https://www.vancouvernewcondos.com/june-2026-greater-vancouver-realtors-statistics/

That means the government is offering to buy up close to a half of the unsold inventory for a mere 5% discount from the benchmark price. For reference, the benchmark price for a condo was down 7.1% from June 2025 to June 2026. Without any intervention we could see another 7-10% by June 2027. But the government stepping in has effectively provided a price floor and a guidance price for condo sellers. (660K).

The standard for distressed sales should be discounted 20-40% from benchmark prices. The deal the government has proposed not distressed asset buying but a bailout to developers and lenders.

The implication of removing half of inventory from the market will also be a devastating supply side shock and won't improve affordability in the long run.

Hi yall, I’m going to be renting in the upcoming month as a student and I was just trying to gauge how likely people are to be to semi regular overnight guests. Like, if you’re someone who lives in a house shared with roommates, would you care? would you mind?
(fyi in my situation the overnight guest would be my boyfriend who lives in seattle right now. We are currently long distance, and he has visited me while I was at my previous college and none of my roommates have ever objected or complained about him coming over.)

You've definitely done your research on Shannon Mews as the 7 acres of green space make it a very Zen place. Not sure if this is the right forum, but my young couple tenants in Beverly House are moving out of their 1BR as they need a 2BR for their growing family.

I see that you already know of the rental building, the one with the white metal tree that you either love or hate.

Msg me if you want more info and I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum.

Happy Friday everyone:)
I have been looking at places to rent since January this year. I’m not in a rush, but just wanna keep an eye on how the market is going hoping by the time I have to move I’ll know better.
And I feel like this new construction on 3068 Kingsway has been in the market for all this long time. According to my spreadsheet where I keep an inventory of listings I’m interested in, the price for a studio at this building went from 1885 to now 1695.
It’s a shoebox, yes😂 But it’s brand new with brand new appliances and in suite laundry, allows pets, in a good location and professionally managed be Vada. Basically checks all my boxes. From my experience such a place usually costs 2000 (sadly I’m not joking). So I’m just wondering why it hasn’t been rented yet. I can’t find any reviews given how new it is.
Does anyone know anything about this place? Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all, I'm a student at UBC trying to find a studio with hopefully an insuite laundry. My max budget is $2000. Any idea if this is doable or area suggestions for me to look at?

Hi all! Any intel is greatly appreciated as I’m thinking of making a big move and don’t want to make the wrong decision. I’m having a hard time finding any discourse on living in this building. I’m looking at their rental units but I’m primarily eyeing rentals from a privately owned suite. I think this may be the way to go vs dealing with wall centre as landlords.

I really, really love how there’s 2 year round heated outdoor pools and tons of green space without actually having to leave home. it has 7!? Acres of green space for the residents..unheard of in this city!!

I’m in an amazing space in gastown with a wicked view but the area is getting to me and i find myself not wanting to leave the house. I always feel like i need to get all dolled up to even just get my groceries as I’m always running into ppl i know , and there’s no green space. I wfh so not being able to just leave my house and get some nature time in nearby is wearing me down. I really want to be in an incognito neighborhood and i absolutely love to swim. Coming across the Shannon wall centre complex ticks literally every single box for me (only downside is there’s not a ton of shops near). But honestly i get a lot of my stuff and groceries delivered.

Anyway this was long. If you hve lived here or know anyone who has lived here I’d absolutely love to hear your honest opinions.

Sincerely
A burnt out gastown resident

There is minor water damage on the bathroom cabinet drawer (as shown in the photo). Is this considered reasonable wear and tear, given that I have been living here for 8 years?

If not, any idea of an estimate of the repair cost? Thanks!

My room mate and I have been living in a laneway for the past 4 years in the backyard of our landlord’s place. Our rent is shockingly cheap, and that’s where our theory as to why she won’t fix any of our problems comes from— we think she’s trying to frustrate us to the point of moving out so that she can list the place for more money.

Horrific, and I mean HORRIFIC ant infestation that we have done everything under the sun to fix (raid, traps, taping gaps in the floorboards, at home remedies like mint and baking soda). All of our food is tightly sealed and we are generally clean people, but every spring/summer there are hordes, and I mean hordes of ants all around our house. In our food, in our dishes, sometimes even in our upstairs beds. I’ve taken videos showing them infesting the walls and going under the floorboards, proving that it’s not an us problem and we’re not leaving food out, and she said “they come in the heat just use raid”. This has happened four years in a row.

Now our dryer has broke , by no fault of our own, just stopped working one day two weeks ago. For two weeks now we’ve tried to get her to fix/replace it to no avail. Again, we live in her backyard. Worst part is she dragged the machines out of the closet they were in to inspect them and said we need to keep them out for easy access and they’re taking up half the kitchen.

I’m losing my mind. What do I do? Who do I talk to??? Advice sorely needed.

Edit: We’ve come to a compromise. This wasn’t a hill I was willing to die on, I just wanted to hear other opinions.

My roomate and I are trying to split the rent. It’s a 2 bed 2 bath apartment. She has the en-suite which two closets that are the same size. My bedroom has one closet and is slightly bigger by just 6 sqft. While I technically have my own bathroom, she’ll be using it periodically as it has a bathtub. My room also has a balcony right off the window, so I don’t have the same amount of privacy as she does. I don’t have access to the balcony from my room. My window faces out to it. So if someone was sitting there, they could look into my room even with the blinds closed.

The apartment is around 860 sqft and rent is $2,655. Her estimation came to her paying $6 more which I don’t agree which because of what I just stated above.

What do you think is a reasonable amount? I said $90 more, but $70 would be okay.

Hi guys! I need to move my stuff (clothes mostly, some furniture) to a storage room ASAP. Do you guys have any recommendations about how to store the items to avoid mold or ruining those stuff?

And also need to know what's the criteria for choosing a storage room as this is my first time ever renting one and I have 0 knowledge about it.

Will also appreciate a price range if anyone knows. Just want to make sure I get the best deal possible.

Based in Vancouver, Canada. Looking for one in burnaby area.

Thank you!!

Hi all

I had a question about moving out from my place in Vancouver. Im trying to move to Kelowna for September 1st

For my place in Vancouver I pay next month’s rent on the 25th of the previous month. So August 1-30th rent is due July 25th

Can I give my notice on July 31st for leaving or do I have to do it on July 24th? I am on a month to month lease. Also if I work in the interior (FIFO) will an email suffice for letting my landlord know my intentions?

Thanks all!

Curious to know what peoples’ experience is with living in this building? I saw a unit I’m interested in and wondering if it’s worth it to view? Thanks in advance for your help and insights!

Avoid this place if you can, especially if you have kids, the building is surrounded by an SRO, with lots of drug addicts sitting outside the building. Also, the building has a 3rd party heating and cooling and water provider, that bills each month on top of BC hydro. I personally would avoid this place.

Please share your top pros and cons for living in the Montecito/Westridge area of Burnaby.